After swimming at the emerald waters of Tinago Falls, we passed a small village on the way back. An old man was busily peeling off coconut husks, preparing the shell for making charcoal. I approached him, smiled and asked if I can take a picture. He smiled and nodded back at me.

Even with the language barrier between a Luzon commoner like me and a Mindanaoan like him, a smile goes a long way indeed.